Endangered Archives
From The Endangered Archives Programme:
Unless action is taken now, much of mankind’s documentary heritage may vanish – discarded as no longer of relevance or left to deteriorate beyond recovery.
. . . .
Archives are endangered both by the actions of mankind and the forces of nature. War may wreak catastrophic effects but other man-made threats . . . can be more damaging. For instance, there are the problems of fragility and obsolescence associated with the physical formats to which we have entrusted our documentary heritage – such as audiotapes, glass negatives, and acidic paper.
Archives not kept under any proper legal system are susceptible to neglect or destruction. Political ideology may impact directly on archives, eradicating archives relating to minorities and their rights. As the ICA Congress noted: “Archives are fundamental to ensuring the survival of truth, memory and justice.”
Link to the rest at The Endangered Archives Programme and here’s a link to the Endangered Archives Blog.
“Archives are fundamental to ensuring the survival of truth, memory and justice.”
P.G.
In a world where Faux News is permitted to operate and is just about ubiquitous in GA, (where I live) truth and justice are already dead.
brendan
Biased news has existed since the inception of the country. Thomas Jefferson complained bitterly about having created the freedom of the press and Pullitzer made a fortune off of gossip and inuendo. It’s not any worse today than it was ten, fifty or two hundred years ago.
More than that, the entire concept of unbiased news is a naive fallacy. Bias will always be present when human beings are involved.
The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.
H. L. Mencken
Josh,
Thanks for the historical input. I’m currently overdosing on 1776/Washington and all that.
I hadn’t realized that recent news and current affairs is the same as it was 50 years ago.
I was born in 1950, and lived mostly in the UK, so my news has pretty much always come from the BBC. I know most Americans consider Auntie to be leftie, but it really is not:)
Barbara, LOL…every time I have watched (a little part of) those ridiculous Rep debates, I have infuriated Mrs S (Rep) by saying, “it’s the boogie man, again?”
brendan
East Anglia emails? Surely the Beeb reported on those.
Why does this site have to devolve into political sniping?
The D’s are just as guilty, Brendan. Ever notice how their opponents are always going to kill Social Security, restore slavery, and subjugate women?
Brendan, Brendan, Brendan, relax. I do believe you miss the point of the post. Read Josh’s post once more.
“relax.”
Robert,
LOL, I am relaxed. See my blood pressure. As an old phart of 62, the Dr thinks I’m an alien being with that:)
http://www.uncommon.us/DailyPictures/index.php/IMG_0656
“I do believe you miss the point of the post. Read Josh’s post once more.”
I will admit to being horribly literal at times, and stuff which appears cest bien simple for others just passes right over my head….ESPECIALLY if it contains American irony-which is a sly monster.
I read it another bunch of times, and all I can see is that Josh is saying that the bias of news outfits was as bad throughout American history as it is now.
I thanked him for that perspective, because I understood that the current baseball bat type of opinion as news was a result of Reagan abandoning the fair doctrine policy.
I welcome instruction, and won’t take opposition awry.
brendan
Brendan, as I am nearing 65, I practice pontification. Next year I go full-blown.
Left and right is simply divide and conquer of the electorate.
It’s a meme for sanity I’m hoping to spread
“The D’s are just as guilty, Brendan. Ever notice how their opponents are always going to kill Social Security, restore slavery, and subjugate women?”
Michael,
I hear A.M. Radio and the proponents of the right say this type of thing all the time.
The thing I never hear, is anything resembling anyone actually saying it, or a genuine reference as to who said it.
I do understand that different parts of the USA are very specific politically, and while I’ve traveled most of it, I have not lived the whole place.
I’m okay, I can filter BS well enough, I’m just kinda shocked that a very intelligent nation can permit this level of demagoguery. Free speech is very important, but I do believe that public speech ought to be at least responsible.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the USA, and I adore The South. I was born to live her, but the politics…faugh:)
brendan